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 The
Argosy Players in: The Shirt by J C F Wilkinson
Staged: 30 May 1958 in the Basement Theatre Head Office Water
Street Liverpool
We join the Argosy Players and Martins Bank Magazine
in the Basement Theatre at Head Office on the occasion of the thirteenth AGM
of Martins Bank’s Society of the Arts. This particular meeting is a
watershed, as the chairmanships of both the Society of the Arts AND the
Argosy Players are vacated, and new blood is sought to fill the gaps. Since 1951, when it was decided that the
amateur dramatic groups should perform under their individual names, rather
than under the Society’s Drama Section, the Argosy, Cicala and North-Eastern
Players have carved out good reputations for themselves, especially for the
plays they put on for the public. One
such performance each year is not however enough to allow the Players to
maintain their acting skills, so it an important function of the Society of
the Arts to allow space for its various groups to practice their craft in
front of an audience of their peers. “The Shirt” by J C F Wilkinson is the
choice of the Argosy players to be performed at the thirteenth AGM, and
Martins Bank Magazine comments on how one of the performers was able to
sustain a Northern accent. As everyone lives and works mainly on Merseyside,
we would not have thought this to be too much of a problem!
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 The
thirteenth annual general meeting of the Society was held at Head Office on
May 30th and was especially noteworthy for the resignations of Mr. R. H.
Price, Chairman of the Society since the beginning, and of Mr. Sydney N.
Rimmer, who has been Chairman of the Argosy Players for some years. Mr.
Price's contribution to the Society has been a notable one, not only by his
personal attendance at every function held and by his active and
sympathetic encouragement of all the Society's hopes and endeavours, but in
a constant practical way to which it would not be his wish that any more
specific reference be made. He has done everything in his power to try to
promote the family spirit within the Bank and his work for the Society of
the Arts is but one manifestation of his firm belief in the importance of
encouraging the “human” aspect of life in a great business organisation.
This Society, and the Bank as a whole, will long have cause to remember the
years of his devoted service. The relinquishment of the Chairmanship of the
Argosy Players by Sydney Rimmcr is another event of some sadness to many of
us, for the survival of the Argosy Players and their reputation have been
due in no small measure to the liberal outpouring of time and talent which
it has received at his hands. He has been responsible for many notable
productions and we hope that he will long be spared to further the cause of
drama in which he so passionately believes, and that he will continue to
attend our future productions and keep a fatherly eye upon our efforts. The
new Chairman of the Society is Mr. A. R. W. Wetherell and of the Argosy
Players Mr. W. Brookes. The Society is fortunate indeed in securing the
services of these two gentlemen, both of whom have been enthusiastic
supporters of it for many years. After the meeting the Society presented a
grand variety concert in the Sunshine Room. An interval for refreshments
was followed by a one-act play put on by the Argosy Players. “The Shirt,”
by J. C. F. Wilkinson, is a comedy which can best be described as a
variation of the theme of the well-known “The Dear Departed”. It gives good
scope for a bit of characteracting and is all very good fun. Eileen
Gilbertson did very well with the sustained Northern accent as the wife of
the sick man. Shirley Gow as the neighbour with the ready car for a bit of
scandal was also quite convincing. Valerie Barrett as the sick man’s
married daughter played her part most acceptably, but we felt that Marshall
HcsketlTs portrayal of the doctor was out of character. He wasn’t nearly
professional enoughin his bearing and seemed to lack authority. Brian
Isaacson as the sick man owed much of his success to the cleverness of the
make-up man and he certainly dominated the play when he finally appeared.
The play was produced by Mr. A. Wyn Roberts.
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